Wednesday, March 19, 2003
Wednesday, March 19, 2003
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound
by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.'"
Psychosomatic disorders are nothing new. We know that the state of our mind can affect our
speech, our hearing and our memory as well as our sight. Scientists really do not understand
this phenomenon, only that it shows the power of the mind over the body. One researcher
attempted to explain the refugees' disorder as follows: "Losing eyesight makes sense if you are
trying to escape the stress of a situation . . . At the movie theater you don't cover your ears when
grotesque violence comes on the screen. You'll always cover your eyes."
These women have eyes that function normally--still they cannot see. What are you blind to?
(Matthew 23.16
NRSV)
Back in 1991, there was an article in THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE concerning a group of
more than 100 women who reside in Long Beach, California. These women, Cambodian
refugees who witnessed the horror of the Pol Pot Regime, are certifiably blind even though
doctors say their eyes function perfectly well. These sightless women suffer from
psychosomatic or hysterical blindness. They are really blind, but their blindness stems from their
minds.
Dear God, help me to see the needs of those you call me to serve. Amen.
